Railway pilot drop buffer



Nov., 25, i952 T. H. AlNswoRTH RAILWAY PILOT DROP BUFFER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June lO, 1948 INVENTOR'.

/Z lFIG. 2.

THOMAS-H. AINSWORTH BY @44,7 M

ATTORNEY.

NOV. 25, 1952 T H, AINSWORTH 2,619,235

RAILWAY PILOT DROP BUFFER Filed June l0, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: THOMAS l-l. AINSWQRTH BY@ @MQ ATTORNEY.

Nov. 25, M952 T. H. AINSWORTH 2,619,235

RAILWAY PILOT DROP BUFFER Filed June l0, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR; THOMAS H. AINSWORTH BY @.7 M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 25, 1952 RAILWAY PILOT DROP BUFFER Thomas H. Ainsworth, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application .lune 10, 1948, Serial No. 32,228

11 Claims. 1

The invention relates to railway rolling stock, and more particularly to pilot structure at the forward end of a locomotive intended to deilect from the track any obstacle encountered by the locomotive.

The invention comprises a. novel buier and associated parts forming a portion of or mounted on the pilot structure and adapted to be moved into a raised position, in which it projects forwardly from the rest of the pilot structure to cooperate with the buffer device of an adjacent vehicle, and to be moved into dropped position when the vehicle is not coupled, at that end, to another vehicle, in which the buier then forms a substantially ush continuation of the pilot. forward contour for deecting an obstacle from the track rather than impaling it and afxing it to the pilot so that it is carried along the track by the locomotive.

A retractible coupler will be associated with the buffer device and the remainder of the pilot structure. The pocket for the coupler will have its forward end closed by the dropped buffer.

The general object of the invention is to provide a pilot structure with a retractible buffer and retractible coupler and means facilitating their shifting from one position to another and for holding them in desired position.

This general object and other detail objects as will appear are attained by the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top View, sectioned in part on the line I-I of Figure 2, showing a locomotive front end with a buffer member and a coupler both in raised position.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1 but showing the coupler in retracted position.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the buffer and coupler in projected position.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken approximately on the longitudinal center line 4-4 of Figure 1 and showing the buier and coupler in retracted position.

Figure 5 is a detail of the buffer pivoting structure shown in Figure 3 but drawn to enlarged scale and showing the buiier in dropped position.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top view of a pilot and buier embodying another form of the invention with the buier and coupler in raised position. A portion of the figure comprises a horizontal section on the line 'I-'I of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8 but showing the buier and coupler in dropped position.

Figures l0 and 11 are vertical longitudinal sections taken on the lines Ill-I0 and II-II of Figure '7.

The locomotive framing is indicated at F and includes or has affixed thereto a pilot structure comprising a relatively narrow, shallow rear portion and a relatively wide, deep forward portion. The pilot includes top wall I, front walls 2, side walls 3, intermediate vertical longitudinal webs 4, and horizontal webs 5. Vertical webs 4 converge rearwardly and merge with sill-like webs 6. Between webs 6 are intermediate vertical webs 'I forming a housing for a coupler draft gear D. Between webs 4 are intermediate vertical Webs I4 bracing and extending rearwardly from front wall sections 2. The space below wall I, between webs I4 and at the rear of sections 2, forms a pocket for the drop coupler 9.

A link 8 connects the draft gear with the shank of coupler 9, the latter being pivoted to link 8 at I0 so as to swing from a horizontal functioning position shown in Figure 3 to a drop or retracted position shown in Figure 4. The coupler will be held in selected position by a holding pin H. The coupler and link are supported by a yielding saddle indicated at C and mounted upon a U-shaped carrier II forming an integral part of the pilot and comprising a horizontal portion I Ia and vertical side portions I Ib.

The pilot front wall sections 2 are spaced apart to receive between them the dropped coupler as shown in Figure 4, and a separate tie or brace I 2 extends across the space between sections 2 and is pivoted to the latter to swing out of the way of train piping (not shown) when the coupler is raised. The central forward portion of web 5 is recessed to accommodate the upward movement of the coupler counter-balance 9a at the rear end of the coupler shank when the coupler is dropped.

A buier I3, instead of forming an integral part of the pilot casting as is customary, is made separate and is movably mounted on the pilot above the coupler pocket. The buffer is pivoted on pins I5 seated in webs I4 and may be held in desired position by pins I6 readily inserted in and removed from apertures in webs I4 and selected apertures R in the side walls of the buffer, Cap

screws a and pins 16a retain pins l5 and I6, respectively. Additional and more effective holding means are indicated at I'l and comprise pins slidable in suitable brackets on the pilot and having handles I8 at their outer ends whereby they may be manipulated. Springs I9, seated against the side Walls 3 and bearing against collars 20 on pins l1, tend to thrust the pins into recesses provided therefor in the rear counterbalance portion of the buifer. The holding pins Il are more effective than pins I6 for holding the buffer in position when used as a buffer because they are located a greater distance from pivot I5 than are the holding pins I6. With the buffer in this position, bosses 2l at the rear ends of its side walls 22 oppose lugs 23 on pilot webs 4 and transmit buflng forces between the buier and pilot independently of pins l5, I6 and Il and, to this end, the apertures for these pins may receive them loosely.

When the buffer is dropped to retracted position, as shown in Figure 4, the rear end of the buffer is received in a recess formed by an upward offset la in the pilot top wall. The buffer then provides the front end of the pilot with a substantially continuous surface extending from side wall to side wall and inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom of the pilot to the top of the pilot. The buffer thus forms a closure for the front of the coupler and buffer pockets and presents a deflecting surface wider and smoother than that presented by a dropped coupler which is often utilized as the front center member of a pilot.

When the vehicle is to be coupled to an adjacent vehicle, the buffer and coupler are raised to the positions shown in Figure 3 in which the coupler projects forwardly of the open end of its pocket and the buffer extends forwardly from the'normal contour of the pilot and above the coupler and may abut the usual spring thrust buffer on an adjacent passenger train car, the coupler of which would engage coupler 9. Even if the vehicle equipped with the drop buffer is coupled to an adjacent car without a spring buffer, the elevated buffer I3 would provide a platform-like member of substantial area rigid with the frame above the laterally and longitudinally shifting coupler 9 to form a rigid stop against which the adjacent vehicle will be held so as to prevent excessive longitudinal movement of the coupler and thereby also prevent excessive thrust on the draft gear and coupler.

In the structure shown in Figures 7-11, the general arrangement of the pilot, the buffer and the coupler are similar to that previously described but there are some differences in the means for holding the buifer in its two positions and in the manner of transmitting bufling forces through the buffer, particularly when the buffer is lowered.

The pilot comprises a single casting having a rear wall 3| attached to the pilot beam or front end of the vehicle frame. The pilot is recessedto receive the coupler 32 and the buffer 33, the latter being pivoted on the pilot at 34 and movable from the raised position shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 9 to the full line position. The rear portion of the buffer includes ears 35 at its ends and when the buffer is in the raised position, an opening 36 in each ear 35 is aligned with a corresponding opening in an adjacent pilot web 31. Holding pins 38 retain the buffer in-raised position. When the buffer is dropped, holes 39v in ears 35 register with the pilot web openings and pins 38 may be inserted through the aligned openings to hold the buffer in dropped position. When the buffer is in raised position the rear face 40 of each ear 35 and the rear edge of a buffer rib 42, projecting inwardly from ear 35, bears against an opposing pilot web 4I. The abutting elements 40, 4l and 42 cooperate with pins 34 and 38 to transmit the buff from the buffer to the pilot. Pilot web 4l and buffer rib 42 are shouldered to limit the rotation of the buffer in an anti-clockwise direction. The upper wall 43 of the pilot is recessed to accommodate the upper portion of the buffer in both lowered and dropped positions.

Coupler' 32 is pinned at 62 intermediate the ends of its shank to a link 45 corresponding generally to link 8 previously described and similarly connecting the coupler to a draft gear (not shown). The coupler is held in raised position by a pin 46 extending through the coupler shank and link 45. When the coupler is lowered, pin 46 will overlie the coupler shank to hold the coupler from swinging upwardly.

The top wall 41 of the buffer is curved from end to end of the buffer so when the buffer is dropped it forms a continuation of the curved front wall 48 of the pilot and is adapted to engage an obstacle on the track. At such time the buffer front wall 49 extends downwardly and rearwardly. A reinforcing web 50 on the buffer front wall is provided with lugs 5| which bear against the forward ends of the link legs 45 so that a blow against the lowered buffer is transm'itted to the draft gear.

Preferably handles 52, by which holding pins 38 are inserted and removed, are thrust inwardly by springs 53 to lock the buffer in raised or lowered position but may be rotated when retracted, and there restrained by pins 54 in bayonet slots 55 to hold the pins out of engagement with buffer ears 35 and permit the buffer to swing on pivots 34 and compress the draft gear.

Ordinarily the buffer will be locked in raised or dropped position but if the structure is on a locomotive which is being used or is standing in a railway yard the buffer may be dropped and its holding pins held in released position so as to provide a yielding front face to the pilot because the buffer lugs 5l will bear against the forward ends of link 45 connected to the draft gear.

Other arrangements of a retractible buffer and associated pilot structure may be made and other details of the disclosure may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modiiications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway vehicle pilot comprising in a onepiece casting integral members forming forward wall sections arranged to engage an obstacle on the track, webs forming a coupler receiving pocket, a top wall and vertical webs extending rearwardly from said forward wall sections, said top wall having an upwardly off -set portion forming with said webs a housing above said pocket and opening forwardly of the pilot and above the level of the major portion of said top wall and constructed and arranged to receive a buffer, there being forwardly facing stop elements on said vertical webs below said top wall and at the rear of said housing for receiving thrust froma ture provided with a forwardly opening pocket, a coupler mounted in said pocket and movable from a retracted position, in which it is wholly received therein, to a projected position in which it extends forwardly of said structure to engage a coupler on an adjacent vehicle, and a member mounted on said structure independently of said coupler and movable from a raised position, in which it extends forwardly of said structure to form a buffer above said coupler with the latter in projected position, to a lowered position to form an obstacle deflector extending across said pocket in front of the coupler when the latter is in retracted position, and means for holding said member in either position independently of said coupler.

3. In a railway pilot, a body structure forming a central pocket, a coupler mounted to swing in said pocket about a horizontal axis to a horizontal position in which the coupler head projects forwardly of said structure and to another position in which the coupler head is dropped to the rear of the forward portion of said structure, a member pivoted to said structure at the sides of said pocket to swing about a horizontal axis above the level of the coupler axis to a horizontal position, in which it projects forwardly of said structure above the coupler, forming a, buffer for abutting an adjacent vehicle, and to a dropped position above and in front of the coupler to form an extension of the front of said pilot structure.

4. In combination, a railway vehicle pilot structure, a coupler member and a buffer member, one above the other, mounted to swing about individual horizontal pivots positioned at different levels between elevated and lowered positions to engage corresponding elements on an adjacent vehicle and to provide a substantially continuous wall from side to side and from top to bottom of the pilot respectively.

5. In combination, a railway vehicle pilot having a front wall provided with a recess, a coupler retractible inwardly through said recess, a yielding draft gear` associated With said coupler, and a member mounted on said pilot independently of said coupler and draft gear and movable from a raised position, in which it extends forwardly of said recess and coupler to form a buifer, to a position in which it extends across the frontJ of said recess to form a continuation of the pilot front Wall in front of the retracted coupler.

6. In combination, a railway Vehicle pilot having a front wall provided with a recess, a coupler retractible inwardly of the pilot and through said recess, a device for connecting said coupler to a draft gear, and a member movable on said pilot from a raised position in which it extends forwardly of the pilot above said recess to form a buffer, to a dropped position in which it extends across the front of said recess to form a continuation of the pilot front wall in front of the retracted coupler, and elements on said member engaging said draft gear connecting device when said member is in dropped position Whereby thrusts through said member may be delivered to the draft gear.

7. Structure as described in claim 6 which also includes means for holding the movable member in raised buifer-forming position and for holding it in dropped position but spaced from the coupler-draft gear connecting device.

8. In combination, a railway vehicle pilot, a coupler mounted on said pilot and movable from a position in which it projects forwardly of the pilot for engagement with the coupler of an adjacent vehicle to a dropped position in Which it is inclined forwardly and downwardly, a device for connecting said coupler to a draft gear and pivoted to the coupler shank intermediate the ends of the latter, and a buffer forming member mounted on said pilot above said coupler and movable from' a position in which it projects forwardly of the pilot above the raised coupler to a position in which it forms an extension of vthe pilot front wall in front, of the dropped coupler, said buer forming member being recessed upwardly to accommodate the coupler counterbalance when it is swung upwardly.

9. In combination, a railway vehicle pilot having a forwardly opening recess, a member having its rear portion received in said recess, elements extending transversely of the pilot and pivotally mounting the buffer on the pilot so that it may swing from a position, in which a forward portion of the member projects from the pilot to engage the buffer of an adjacent vehicle, to a position in which said forward portion drops into the lower part of said recess, there being opposing elements on the pilot and the rear portion of said member respectively, when the member is in the first-mentioned position, for transmitting buiiing forces directly between the member and pilot independently of said pivoting elements.

10. In a railway vehicle front end, vehicle framing, including elements forming a pilot front wall, having a coupler receiving opening, and a draft gear housing at the rear thereof, and a buffer member pivoted to said framing above the level of said housing to swing from a raised position above said level, in which it extends forwardly of said front wall, to a dropped position in which it closes the coupler receiving opening and forms substantially a continuation of said front wall.

11. In a railway vehicle framing, elements forming a pilot, having a front wall with a coupler receiving opening, and forming a housing at the rear of said front wall and including a top wall, a yielding draft gear in said housing, a coupler having a connection to said draft gear including a horizontal pivot extending transversely of the vehicle at the level of said draft gear, said coupler being movable into a functioning position, in which it is in line with said draft gear and projects through said opening forwardly of said front wall, and to a retracted position in which it is disposed rearwardly of said front wall, and a buffer member pivoted to the framing above the level of said top wall and movable to a raised position, in which it projects forwardly of said front wall above the level of said coupler when in functioning position, and to a dropped position in which it closes the opening in said front wall and forms substantially a continuation of said front wall.

THOMAS H. AINSWORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,921,382 Couch Aug. 8, 1933 2,104,865 Johnson et al Jan. 11, 1938 2,292,193 Blomberg Aug. 4, 1942 

